Improvement in rotary engines and pumps



1'. SMITH @L A. Husum-0N. Rotary Engin-es and Pumps.

` Patented Dec. 29,1874.

the shaft.

NTTED STATES PATENT SIDNEY J. SMITH, OF FLATBUSH, AND ANDREW ROBIGHON, OF BROOKLYN, E. D., NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 158,222, dated December 29, 1874; application tiled December 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SIDNEY J. SMITH, of Flatbush, and ANDREW RoBIcHoN, of Brooklyn, E. D., both in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Rotary Engines and Pumps, of which the following is a specification:

This improvement relates to a balanced revolving abutment, actuated by a tumbler and the main shaft of the engine, and held in position, while operative, by the edge of a disk on the main shaft. Apeculiar packing is also employed for keeping the revolving hub of the engine tight.

NYhen the mechanism is used with steam or water under pressure the device becomes an engine or motor, and when the shaft is revolved by power the mechanism acts as a pump.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section, longitudinally, of the main shaft. Fig. 2 is a section of the engine, transversely to Fig. 3 represents the engine with one of the heads removed andthe piston passing the abutlnent. Fig. 4 is a section illustratin g the mechanism in use as a pump; and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation at the line .r a, Fig. 1.

Upon the main shaft a is the hub or cylinder b', carrying the piston b, that revolves within the cylindrical shell c, at the ends of which are the heads e and f, with glands or stuffing-boxes g for the shaft a. The edge of the piston b is provided wit-h a movable packing-bar, h, that is set out by springs, and at the ends of the piston are the packing-bars h that are mortised or notched into the ends of the bar h. The ends of the hub or cylinder b are recessed and receive the dishing or conical packing-rings k, that are notched at one side ot' each to receive the ends ofthe packingbars h', and at this side of the dishing packing-ring the ring is not as thick as it is at the other side, in order that the expansion of the said dishing packing-ring may act to keep the packing-bar h tight, as well as to keep the ends of the hub b tight with the surfaces of the heads ef. It will be understood that the conical packing-rings will be slightly compressed in the act of screwing on the heads e f, because such dishing-rings will be pressed into the conical cavity of the hub and will expand sufficiently to compensate for wear. These rings revolve with the hubb, and, to insure uniformity of action as they revolve, it is preferable to provide a pin, 14, passing through an elongated hole in each ring and entering' the hub. The revolving abutment l is upon the shaft m and provided with packing-bars at the edges and ends that are slightly yielding, but the amount of motion is limited. They are pressed outwardly by springs. The revolvin g abutment l is turned by the four-armed tumbler n at the end of the shaft m, said tumbler being acted upon by the studs o and p that are upon a disk, g, attached to the shaft ce, and as the piston approaches the abutment the stud o acts upon one arm of the tumbler fn, to turn the shaft m and place the abutment in the position shown in Fig. 3, 'so that one of its faces forms a continuation of thecurvedinterior surface of the cylinder c. The neXt stud p acts to complete the revolution of' a, bringing the abutment into the position in which it is operative, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and in this position it is held by the edge of the disk q coming into contact with the curved surface of the abutment-stop r. The periphery of the disk q is cut away to allow the abutment-stop to revolve with the abutment when the same is turned by the tumbler and stops. The abutment makes half a revolution each revolution ot' thel engine-piston; but if there are two pistons the abutment will be turned half a revolution as each piston passes by the same.

It' desired, two abutments and one piston may be employed, so as to obtain greater uniformity in the action of the parts. Under all circumstances the abutment is balanced and paesents the same area to pressure at each side ofthe shaft with which it revolves, hence, to turn the abutment it is only necessary to exert sufficient power to overcome the friction, and the parts are more durable and easily moved than the abutments heretofore made use of.

The parts thus far described are available with either a pump or engine. If used as a pump, there may be inlet and exit valves s' and s', as shown in Fig. 4, applied to the Water-Ways t and t', but if used with steam, the inlet t may be provided with a cut-off valve, u, operated by the crank-arm 5, link 6, lever 7, and cams 8 and 9 upon the disk q. These parts are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and full lines in Fig. 5,and they are vso constructed and timed that the steam Will be cut oft' by closing the inlet-port l() during the time that the piston is passing the abutment and the said port l0.

If two abut-ments are used the steam may be admitted and exhausted through ports that are in the cases Within which the abutments revolve, and the steam may be admitted to these by a separate valve that directs the steam or opensthe exhaust as the piston passes the abutments.

If desired to balance the action of the engine and avoid unnecessary friction, two pistons at opposite sides of the hub may be used, and the revolving abutment and cut-off will be duplicated at opposite sides of the engine.

Ve claim as our inventionl. The revolving abutment Z upon the shaft m, in combination with the tumbler n, studs o p, abutment-stop r, and disk q, notched to alc low the revolution of said stop, as set forth.

2. The dishing expansive ring k, applied Within a cavity at the end of the revolving hub of the rotary engine, in combination with the packing-bars 7L and h', and piston, substantially as set forth.

Signed by us this 1st day of December, 1874.

SIDNEY J. SMITH. ANDREW ROBIGHON. Witnesses: 4

GEo.,T. PINOKNEY, CHAs. H. SMITH. 

